Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-05

Hermann KxPLAINEn.
How Some - . xhevsasan,s ueSesrassa
TrtcaEs are PeraoEW~A
From the New York Sun.
Hermann Is q sletght-of-hand performer whose
tricks, on and on the STAGE are often described Ia
print Those accounts usually exaggerate and
mystify. Let US take a clear view OF some Of his
doings. As he walked toward the footlights he
removed his gloves, rolled them into q little ball.
pretended to put them into his left hand but kept
them in the hollow palm Of his right, and then
waved his hands In the air. keeping the back OF his
right hama toward the spectators. He then picked
up pack OF cards from the table ana stunned
them, arranging the nine OF clubs ten OF diamonds
and ace OF hearts In the middle OF the pack 30
that he would know their exact position and could
keep the third finger OF his right hand beneath
them. He walked down from the stage and pre-
sented the pack spread out back upward, TO one
OF the audience requesting the gentleman to select
card As the stranger reached for card. Her
mann moved the nine OF clubs toward him with
his finger, and the stranger took II. Another per-
son was made to draw The ten OF diamonds, and
looked at their eards and nut them back into the
pack, which was then shuffied. The Snowman re-
turned to the stage and asked the three persons
woman dressed as page then brought from be-
mind the scenes sword. The blade Of the sword
nad Seee passed through fh1e a
nne elastic cord was attached to the point OF the
sword, stretched and fastened TO the hilt. The
young woman took the pack and tossed IL tow ard
Hermann, who held the sword In his hand. As
she did SO, ne thrust the sword toward the nytng
nine OF clubs ten 81 diamonds and ace OF hearts At
once appeared near the point OF the blade, IS
though pierced through while Tying.
Next, Hermann borrowed q handkerchief
from lady and gave It to young man to hold
between his hands. He carried wand under
his arm. Taking the wand out with hts right
hand, he also took from a little pocket under his
arm small package OF pieces OF linen, which he
concealed in the palm or his right hand. He then
sa1d the young man In the audience was not hold
ing the Handkerchief right. ana took Il from him
to show him how. He rubbed the hankefchief be-
tween his hands palmed 1t, and gave back the
observe the Change. Again Hermann appeared
DISSATISFIED, and told the young man 70 hold the
hanakercaief up by corner. The dupe opened his
nan0S and the bits OF cloth fell out He picked
them up and handed them to Hermann, who put
them between his own hands, palmed them, and
WORKED toward the ends OF his fingers long strip
posed Of the pieces. This he he role rolled up and
palmed, and turning Lis back to the audience
10 go back upon the stage he put all the bits
OF cloth away under his coat and showed his
bands TO be empty. Then he picked up q lemon
from which the pulp had been removed,
and inside OF which a handkerchief had been
placed. He cut the lemon and drew out the hand
kerchief. The spectators thought 1t was the one
ne ne. h a borrowed, and they applauded. He put
alcohol upon It, The pretty young woman set IRE
to the alcohol with a candle. Then he extin-
he wrapped the embers. He went 10 O table
rolled the package with his hand into little WELL
and took up another paper containing and un:
the audience pretended to toss the piece Of cloth
to lady with his left and palned 1t with hts right
hand which he dropped to bis waist. While the
of IN lori hon RI ha
ceaied the piece OF cloth in a pocket just inside
the edge OF his coat. He then placed his wand
the original borrowed handkerchief, concealing ii
in his palm. Placing his hand at a gentleman's
ear he dropped the handkerchief TO the ends Of
his fingers, pretended to take 1t out OF the gentle
mans ear, and handed it to the lady.
The performer borrowed q tall hat. turned his
back to the audience, put handkerchief contain
stage, faced about, and took first the handkerchief
and the eggs from the hat. The pretty young
woman, with short wand In her hand, wenl
Ing to the stage she slipped three other rings upOr
the wand and handed 1t to the Snowman, Keeping
the three borrowed rings concealed in her hands
three rings to ribbons hanging from the necks O.
three white doves and put the doves into the deeE
SoTsa q 6e;a s, stew pan The cover had fas
doing this Hermann let the three bogus rings
slide from the wand into stew pam broke
the the eggs s,o and dropped them in poured IL
woman brought out the cover, and Hermann
placed 1t on the pan. He then released the falst
bottom, lifted tue cover, and showed the thret
tied to their necks He placed one of the doves or
the barrel of pistol and fired his weapon. Tht
dove was trained not to move. He put the dove
On table, covered 1t with q handkerchief drop
ped the bird through little trap gathered up the
handkerchief as though the dove were inside wig
Cling hts finger in the handkerchief to sirnulaH
the fiutteriDg OF the bird. and then smashed thu
handkerchief between his hands very violently
Ladies in the audience said "Oh!" The sh0wmaI
shook the handkerchief out By the corners anf
showed that it was empty.
Hermann fnrm n next got prSgm rolled It up init
compressed packet OF cut paper flowers that ht
obtained from the pocket under his left arm
Putting his right hand into the horn, ostensibly
TO shape II better, he removed the pressure from
Vie packet and the paper flowers sweiled ant
filled the horn. He shook them out upon the table
put his hand upon them to arrange them ant
| Into the horn while again adjusting its shape
He repeated this several times until about bush
of flowers had been shaken out.
He then borrowed a hat, took q rabbit from
under his coat as he walked away, and put it into
the hat. Then he took the rabbit out OF the hal
by the ears. While the spectators were examin
ing that rabbit he held the hat close to his breast
with his right hand and put into IL another rabbit
with his lett. He took that rabbit out. Then be
placed both rabbits on the table, one hiding The
other from the spectators, dropped the latteI
rabbit through trap, rubbed the remaining one
and said he had rolled two rabbits into one A
confederate In the audience had q third rabbit
concealed In his inside coat pocket. Hermann
came down, struggled with the man, and pulled
to the stage tossed the rabbit in the air. placed II
on q she'll behind the table when 1t came dow
MADE tossing movement again very quickly. free
pistol with his LEFT hand and looked up as though
he had thrown the rabbit into the flies. TRe
curtain came down for an fntermiSSOn: aud IL haG
all been easy enough TO see through IL You knew